Earth Dragon

The earth dragon is a rare magical fungus that thrives in the shade of gloomy, stuffy, brooding woods far inland, usually preferring areas with plenty of tree cover, and little wind or rain.

The parch lúgfaer or earth dragon as it is alternately named by scholars and in folklore, begins life as a cat-sized spore colony, commonly referred to as a dirt serpent. These are fairly common in the habitats they favor. They are mobile at this point, luring bugs and mice with a sweet, meat-like scent.

In time, the dirt serpent colony will grow into an earth dragon, a colony as large as a tree. It will eat birds, bats, and Flerge. At this stage it is able to subsist in soil as a plant, or roam in search of prey.

They are not incredibly dangerous as predators in themselves, but some do hunt men, given the chance. Earth dragons exude a psychogenic toxin that attracts and corrupts Flower Pixies, causing them to loiter around the tree and breed out of control. This attracts Flerges, and the parch lúgfaer is one of the few creatures who can eat those disgusting beasts.

A study of the earth dragon conducted by an agent of the Cambion's Archive revealed that it is not a single organism at all, but a collection of different fungi and mycogenic mechanisms that function as a disparate whole. The agent never returned from their second expedition.